Ick! I'm so, so sorry that this took me such a long time to update! One of my goals for the new year is to finish all of the fanfiction that I have started. I think I owe that to everyone who reads my story, no matter how far and few between. :) There will be one more chater after this one that I am currently working on! I hope you guys enjoy it!

Pearl leaned back in the reclining beach chair, not too far away from the construction site of the new addition to the temple: Steven's room. She watched as Amethyst ran through the waves with the little boy, shooting water at him from a plastic gun. Greg wasn't too far behind them, pleading with Amethyst to make sure Steven didn't run off too far into the depths.

Greg always made sure to set up days like this; days where the gems could spend as much time with the little boy as they wanted. Of course, he was always there too, looming over their shoulders, making sure they knew what they were doing. He had been the one to raise Steven, after all. Pearl tried not to hold anything against him, but with a history like theirs, she still couldn't help but grimace every time she saw the man.

Garnet plopped down into the chair beside of her, crossing her arms behind her head and leaning back, staring out at the water.

"It feels like everything has happened so fast, doesn't it?" Pearl spoke softly, watching as Amethyst lifted Steven into the air, twirling him around. "She's gone now. It's been five years. She's not coming back, is she?"

"Pearl, you know she isn't coming back. This is our reality now. For Steven, we have to accept this life and make him happy." Garnet spoke lazily, basking in the sun.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts. There is no more time to dwell on those that have moved on." Garnet paused. "Have you thought about mending your relationship with Amethyst?"

Pearl scoffed, hiding under the shade that her large beach umbrella provided.

"I'll take that as a no," The fusion chuckled, crossing her legs at her ankles. "Look, Pearl, once Steven moves in, you and Amethyst cannot keep bickering like you usually do. I don't want to force reconciliation, but I also want the best for Steven."

"...I know."

Pearl hadn't chased after Amethyst the day that she had confessed her love. She watched her run, taking in the way her retreating form swayed from side to side in the form of regret. It was the last time anyone had ever run away from her like that, but unlike Rose, Amethyst was trying to be there for her with nothing but good intentions. Pearl sighed.

"I'm pretty sure Amethyst would forgive you, if you just let yourself feel sorry about everything that has happened between you two."

"Garnet...do you know the reason that Amethyst and I stopped being so close?" Pearl asked, unable to take her eyes off of the purple gem.

"No. Your falling out with Amethyst was inevitable; I saw that there was no way to avoid it. Most of the reasons had to do with Rose. Am I correct?" Garnet asked, tilting her head ever so slightly towards Pearl.

"For once, you're not right. I was blinded by Rose, but...Amethyst loved me, Garnet. I think I loved her too. I had no idea, until it was too late."

"No mistake is ever too great or too late to fix."

Pearl watched Amethyst for a final moment, before curling back into the shade, allowing herself a moment of silence. Just as she looked away, Amethyst stared back at her, wondering just what was racing through the paler gem's mind.

Today, they had formed Opal. It had been the first time in years, and it felt good to bring her out. Pearl basked in the way Opal's mind was made up of ocean waves; she and Amethyst would sit beside of each other, thinking together in tandem. The sand, littered with periwinkle seashells, felt good beneath their skin.

Of course, Opal was not formed to last. She was made of too many regrets, and too much anger. Pearl didn't blame Amethyst for pulling away from their mental grasp, although she couldn't help herself as she shouted that it was Amethyst's fault that they forgot the beetle. Pearl knew that it wasn't Amethyst's fault; together, it was both of their faults, but blaming Amethyst had been the perfect excuse to get away.

All Pearl had ever wanted was to be fused. She wanted to be stronger; living the life as a weak Pearl had never been her choice. Rose Quartz would have been the perfect companion, and together, they could have been powerful. It was the same with Sardonyx, but Garnet didn't have enough room to permafuse for three. In any other world, Opal would have been the perfect option, but any time Pearl entered the caverns of her mind, she felt as if she was going to snap.

Opal was made up of imperfections. She was strong, yes, but she was too spacey and too relaxed. There was no structure when it came to Opal. Amethyst had a way of coaxing Pearl back down to her relaxed nature, and together, they created regrets. They were too broken for Opal to even have a chance.

Pearl let out a long sigh, silently stirring her tea with a spoon. She sat at the kitchen counter, trying to wind down after the long day. It had been hard to get Steven to sleep; he kept begging her to reconcile with Amethyst and form Opal for him once again, but she refused. Reconciliation with Amethyst was a lost cause.

Yet, Pearl knew that if she really felt that way, she wouldn't be waiting up for the smaller gem to come home.

Shortly after unfusing, Amethyst had managed to slip away from the temple. It only went unnoticed to Pearl for a few minutes before she said something, but by then, it was too late. Amethyst was nowhere to be found.

It wasn't like Pearl was worried; no, Amethyst had run away from the temple many times before. After Rose passed, it was hard to get her to even stay in her room, so Garnet and Pearl would take turns waiting up outside, just to see to it that she got home safe and sound. But this time, it was a little different. This time, it was Pearl's fault.

Inhaling the relaxing aroma of the tea once more, Pearl jumped to her feet, and decided that it wouldn't hurt to look for the smaller gem one last time.

Amethyst didn't mean to fall in love with Pearl.

It had been an accident. According to Pearl, if they had all just been living on Homeworld, as they should, love would have never been an option for any of them. Garnet wouldn't be Garnet, Rose wouldn't have had the choice to turn herself into a Human spawn, and Pearl wouldn't have been able to pine after Rose so obviously for such a long time. But the most important thing that stuck out to Amethyst was that she would have never even gotten the chance to get to know Pearl.

At first, they were just friends. Amethyst would feel her stomach flutter whenever Pearl would be near, but it the feeling took an entirely different form after they made Opal for the first time. Afterwards, just looking at Pearl would leave Amethyst feeling as if she were on fire; skin vibrating with so much excitement at the fact that her crush may be reciprocated. Amethyst could see that Pearl loved her too, but it was always overshadowed by the sick infatuation Pearl held for Rose.

None of that mattered now.

Amethyst kicked a rock, watching as it tumbled through the soft grass, and off of the cliff. There was no chance to hear it hit the ocean; the rumble of the waves crashing against the base of the cliff washed the sound away. Letting out a long sigh, she plopped down into the grass, staring up at the stars.

"...Amethyst?"

Ah, she had been found. Amethyst made no move to acknowledge Pearl. She felt the grass beside her rustle, and a lithe form joined her, leaning back to stare up at the stars. Together, they lay for just a few moments, and Amethyst allowed Pearl to tell her the stories of the few constellations that could be seen on this clear night. Of course, Amethyst had heard the stories from her before, but just getting a moment to enjoy Pearl's peaceful voice was enough to make her feel calm.

The feeling of the calm only made Amethyst angrier.

"What do you want, P?" She muttered, rolling away from the taller gem.

Pearl let out a sigh, her breath hot against Amethyst's back.

"I...I wanted to apologize. Not just for now, but for our entire relationship. Everything. I want the fighting to end, Amethyst."

"I never even wanted there to be fighting in the first place!"

Amethyst rolled over, eyes lit up like a firecracker. Pearl could almost feel it bursting in her own eyes, reflecting back at Amethyst.

"Neither did I…" Pearl whispered, trailing her fingers through the soft grass. "You were my best friend...more than my best friend, but I was too blind to see that. It's because of me that things are the way they are now."

"I'd say it's...it's definitely both of our faults." Amethyst chuckled, allowing herself to cool down. But only a little. "I'm still mad at you, Pearl. I've been mad at you for a very long time, and I'm not sure if I know how to stop being mad at you."

"I've been mad at me too. Mad at myself for not chasing after you, mad at myself for pining for Rose for such a long time… I guess I was the only one who never saw her for who she truly was."

"Pearl," Amethyst reached out, placing her hand over Pearl's tenderly. She noticed the way Pearl had begun to rub her fingers over the grass violently, digging into the rocky dirt below. Pearl's nerves were taking over, but she was trying to be strong. Amethyst admired that about her. She always had. "Rose was a good leader, and to an extent, she was a good friend. You had every right to love her as more than a friend. But Rose was selfish, too. I mean, what kind of friend just turns themselves into Human life without consulting the ones who care about her?"

"Not a very good friend…" Pearl breathed, trying her best not to fall apart.

"Exactly. Rose was good, but just like the rest of us, she had her flaws. What she did to you wasn't cool. She played your feelings for her own benefit, but she was good enough to regret it every single time. Just not good enough to stop."

Pearl turned to lay on her back, a few tears falling from her eyes.

"I came out here to apologize, and here we are, talking about me…" Pearl laughed softly, but it turned into a sob, taking over her entire body.

"P…" Amethyst reached out and pulled the gem closer to her, holding her to her chest. "I miss how we used to talk about everything. Opening up to me like you did just now...that's definitely a step towards fixing things."

"C-can things be fixed?" Pearl asked, looking up at Amethyst with wide eyes. "It isn't too late?"

"I never stopped loving you, P."

After saying those words, Amethyst brought a hand to her mouth in surprise, as if she hadn't meant to say them. A deep, purple blush spread across her face, and she looked away from Pearl's shocked expression.

"Yeah, I said it. I never stopped loving you. But you and me both know that we aren't ready for that step yet. I dunno if we'll ever get there, but I definitely wanna start by being your friend. You do mean a lot to me."

Pearl nodded, and reached around to pull Amethyst closer.

"I'm not ready to say it yet… I've got lots of problems I need to overcome, and lots of demons I need to scare away. But one day…" Pearl mumbled into Amethyst's skin, her tears finally disappearing. "I'm going to be able to say it. And when I do, everything is going to come together."

"I can't wait for that day." Amethyst breathed, closing her eyes as she held Pearl tightly to her chest.

"Neither can I."

Together, in a peaceful silence, they watched the stars.

"P...is everything okay?"

Amethyst crept around the cliff, unsurprisingly finding the gem in question hidden from sight. She was sitting on the sand, watching the sun slowly make its way over the horizon. It was still early in the day, barely sunrise at all. Amethyst plopped down beside of Pearl, crisscrossing her legs together. The tide almost reached them, but just couldn't quite make it.

Pearl glanced over at her, biting her lip softly.

"I almost let Steven die today."

She didn't mean for the boy to fall from his jump. He was just trying to make sure she was okay, but she was too caught up in her thoughts to be bothered with him. She wanted to be alone, like usual, but her selfish desire had almost costed him his life. As she stared over the ledge, unable to breathe, she could feel tides of relief wash over her at the sight of him dangling there. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, he hadn't even held it against her.

She didn't deserve someone like him.

"What?!" Amethyst guffawed, her mouth hanging open. "How did you almost let Steven die? That sounds like something… I would do."

"No, no, Amethyst." Pearl reached forward, grabbing the purple gem's arm. Whether it was to comfort Amethyst, or to give Pearl a reason to be strong, neither one of them knew. "You are wonderful with Steven. A tad unconventional, but it's just your nature. I know you'd never let anything happen to him."

"Well, why do you get on my case so often about it?"

Pearl sighed, staring back out at the water.

"I see him as something so fragile. Sometimes, I still feel afraid to touch him. I feel like he will fall apart." She chuckled softly, shaking her head to herself. "But our Steven has grown so much. He's gotten so much smarter, and he is so compassionate to everyone. So forgiving… When I see how confident and close you are with him, I snap at you because I'm jealous. I still can't see him as anything but a Human, but you see him as something so much more stronger than that."

"Well, there's your problem right there, Pearl. Humans are strong! Maybe they can't shapeshift, or pull super cool weapons from their bodies, but they are strong in so many other ways." Amethyst smiled over at Pearl, taking in the sight of the rising sunlight reflecting from her pale gemstone. "I mean...maybe this is a sore topic, but just think about Greg for a minute. After Rose formed Steven and left this world, he immediately put his emotions aside and looked after his son, as he was supposed to do as a Human dad. He literally just lost someone he loved, and that someone was just right there in front of him, in the form of a gemstone. But he couldn't dwell on that. He had to do what he had to do for his son."

"I don't hate Greg, but you know I have a distaste for him. But...I can see where you are coming from." Pearl nodded, trying not to think of the emotions that came over her when she saw Steven for the first time. The overwhelming hate that she felt for something that had no way to even defend itself. "We all had different emotions, but Greg managed to become a good parent...in his own, offhanded way."

"Exactly. Humans can train to be muscular and strong, but most of them learn from a young age that they have to have good control over their emotions. And, ya know, as much as I love being a gem, controlling my emotions is not something I'm very good at."

"Back on Homeworld, we were taught to ignore emotion. Love, sadness, anger. We felt what our Diamonds wanted us to feel, and nothing more than that."

"That's a sad way to live."

Amethyst drew her finger through the sand, making stick figures. Pearl watched, smiling softly to herself at the goofy expressions on their faces.

"You're more Human than the rest of us, Amethyst. Please don't forget that."

"Okay, P. But, how did you almost let Steven die?" Amethyst asked, trying to brush off the compliment. "What was more important?"

"I…" Pearl glanced down, trying to hide her face. "I selfishly took a moment to get upset over Rose again. I was doing so well, putting her behind me, but it all came back today. Steven didn't need to see that…"

"Hey, the kid needs to know about his mother. The good, the bad, everything." Amethyst shrugged, although she had a worried expression on her face. "Knowing Steven, he wanted to cheer you up, huh?"

"Yes, of course. Steven always wants to help."

"So, did it work? Are you feeling any better? I'm not as worried about Steven as I am about you." Amethyst mumbled, grabbing Pearl's hand within her own.

Pearl took a moment to breathe, linking their fingers together hesitantly.

"Steven was great help, yes, but… I feel much more better after talking to you."

Amethyst watched as Pearl walked along the shoreline, helping Steven and Connie find the perfect seashells. Steven wanted to make seashell necklaces for every single person in town, becoming obsessed with the idea ever since Connie taught him how to make hemp friendship bracelets just a week before. Usually, Amethyst would join Connie and Steven on any of their endeavours, but something about this day felt off, and it had everything to do with Pearl.

It had only been a day since their showdown at the Kindergarten, but it felt like the short amount of time should have been enough for Amethyst to begin forgiving Pearl for all of the things she had ever said. But, it wasn't enough. Just the idea of dwelling on it made Amethyst feel silly; she and Pearl had talked it out, but Amethyst wanted to talk more.

Instead, Amethyst watched Pearl from the porch, sitting on the edge of the railing with her feet dangling off. Whenever Pearl walked, she held her hands up near her chest, as if she was reminding herself to stay calm. She walked as if she had all of her steps calculated, right down to the angle that her feet would hit the ground. Sometimes, she would take a step and retract, as if she had landed somewhere she didn't want to go. It was as if she was just learning how to walk for the first time; careful and cautious. Regardless, Amethyst enjoyed watching her.

"Something on your mind?"

Garnet joined her on the porch, leaning on the railing beside of her. There was a slight breeze to this otherwise hot day, and Amethyst let out a sigh as a few loose tendrils of her hair tickled Garnet's arm.

"Lots of things. Like always." Amethyst mumbled, noticing that Pearl, Steven, and Connie had become nothing but specks in the distance.

"You two have been getting along a lot better recently." Garnet spoke, lowering her gaze to meet Amethyst's. "Did she apologize yesterday?"

"Yeah, of course." Amethyst nodded, biting her lip. "I dunno, I just feel weird about it. It's still bothering me."

"I think that means there are some things you want to say. Do you feel like you can say them to her?"

"...maybe. I'm just afraid that she'll snap again, and won't chase after me." Amethyst admitted, looking up at Garnet with pleading eyes. "What does the future tell you? Will she choose me?"

"Amethyst… I can't tell you anything that is set in stone. You know that."

"Yeah…" Amethyst sighed, looking back towards the ocean. "It all just feels so pointless…"

"But." Garnet suddenly grabbed the other gem by the jaw, forcing their eyes to meet. "Pearl has her own baggage, and we all know it. Rose Quartz led her on for a very long time. But please believe me when I say that Pearl has been chasing after you for such a long time."

"What do you mean…?" Amethyst whispered, her eyes wide with shock.

"I have seen it," Garnet let her go, instead moving her hands to grasp Amethyst's shoulders, keeping the smaller gem steady. "in the way she looks at you, and holds herself around you. I have seen it in the way she has been trying to change for you. The gem wants to get over Rose Quartz. She wants to make you proud."

Amethyst's jaw went slack, unable to stop the tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes. Garnet was right. Pearl had been opening up to her a lot more easily recently.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

Pearl stood at the top of the porch stairs, breathing heavily as if she had run all the way from the beach. Amethyst looked past Garnet's frame, trying not to imagine how this scene looked: Garnet, grabbing her by the shoulders, with tears running down her face.

"Y-yeah, P, everything is -"

"No, everything is not alright. Please go inside the house and talk things out." Garnet ordered, letting go of Amethyst. She started towards the stairs. "I'll go look after Connie and Steven, to make sure they're alright. Take your time."

Amethyst and Pearl stared each other down, one breathing heavily, and the other letting tears run down her face. Suddenly, Pearl raced forward and hugged Amethyst to her chest, stroking the smaller gem's hair wildly. Amethyst squeezed her back, burying her face in Pearl's shoulder. Together, they made their way inside of the temple, plopping down onto the couch.

"Amethyst...please tell me what's bothering you." Pearl asked hesitantly, fiddling with her hands.

"Pearl, I wanna forgive you. Like, for good. I want things to be good between us, but we have so much baggage." Amethyst admitted, hiding behind her bangs. "Yesterday was only a little of what I have to say to you...and it was all over so quickly."

"I agree, my apology yesterday was very rushed…" Pearl sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You deserved better."

"See Pearl, that's the thing. Yeah, I deserve better, but so do you. Some of what you say about me is true, I'll admit. I'm unruly and unkempt and not very well behaved. But I'm me, you know?"

"I do…" Pearl urged her along.

"Sure, yeah, I need to grow up a little bit. I get it, and I'm working on it." Amethyst blew back her bangs in frustration, crossing her arms over her chest. "I just want you to like me, Pearl. And when you say stuff that makes me sound like some monster, I feel like you don't like me at all!"

"Oh, Amethyst! Of course I like you!" Pearl gasped, shaking her head. "I've always liked you."

"Yeah, well, you have a real funny way of showing it!" Amethyst shouted, fists falling to her sides. "Ever since you first met me, you've put on this attitude like you're better than me! Like your problems are bigger than mine, and your daintiness or whatever is so much more proper than me. We're just different! That doesn't make you better than me."

"No, Amethyst, I'm definitely not better than you. You are so wonderful, and caring, and I'm just...a mess." Pearl shrugged, letting out a low laugh. "I never realized I was making you feel that way, I just… When I feel, I'm not sure how to handle it."

"Making me feel like I'm nothing is definitely not the right way to handle it." Amethyst muttered, feeling tears well back up in her eyes. "I'm not a bad person, Pearl. I wish you could see that."

"I do see that. You are a great contribution to the team, and an even greater friend. You are slowly becoming so much more than just...Amethyst, to me."

Amethyst noticed the way Pearl was wringing her hands together. Pearl's fingers dug into her skin, picking away at flesh. Amethyst quickly reached for them, squeezing them protectively.

"Stop believing that you deserve to hurt, Pearl." Amethyst found Pearl's eyes, although the taller gem looked as if she was about to pass out. "I'm going to forgive you now. I know you've got some problems of your own, and so do I, but God...we're going to work out those problems together."

"Together?" Pearl whispered, leaning forward.

"As Opal. Pearl, I wanna form Opal again. I want things to be like they used to be." Amethyst smiled up at her weakly, brushing the hair out of her face.

"Slowly...I'm sure we can get back to how things used to be."

"Do you promise?" Amethyst asked, squeezing Pearl's hands softly before dropping them back into Pearl's lap.

"I promise."